How'd your alderman vote on limiting city inspector's power?

It looks like Paddy Bauler was right. To paraphrase the infamous ward boss, the Chicago City Council still ain't ready for reform—not really.

Overshadowed by yesterday's presidential visit to Springfield, aldermen yesterday substantially watered down a crucial ethics bill that would have subjected them, their deeds and their spending to oversight and investigation by city Inspector General Joe Ferguson.

The IG still will able to probe alleged corruption involving aldermen and their staffs, but won't be able audit council spending for waste, misuse and more. That means, for instance, that City Council Finance Committee Chairman Ed Burke, 14th, still will be able to pretty much personally control the city's huge workers' compensation claims operation without having to answer questions from Ferguson, who already was empowered to audit spending in almost every other city program.

"Aldermen squandered what could and should have been a singularly successful moment in the city's civic history," Ferguson said after the council vote. "The council still failed to fully meet the moment."

Be advised that some of them, such as Moore, protested that killing program oversight was the only way to save the overall bill. Also be advised that some aldermen grumble that since the mayor names the IG, he or she can use that office to harass and intimidate them.

Many decades of Chicago experience suggest that you really don't have to twist hard to get an alderman to vote "no." Merely dangle a nice wad of green under their nose.

Every other alderman except the absent Roberto Maldonado, 26th, and Carrie Austin, 34th, voted against removing the spending-oversight clause.

With a few changes, aldermen voted the same way on the main, amended bill, which passed 29-19. The vote switches all came from aldermen who opposed diluting the main bill but ended up voting for it anyhow: Milly Santiago, 31st; Deb Mell, 33rd; Nick Sposato, 38th; James Cappleman, 46th; and Debra Silverstein, 50th.

Anyhow, next time you're talking to your alderman, and if you don't need a new blue cart or something, ask him or her why they voted the way they did. Could be interesting.

And, if you know something Ferguson ought to know about—remember, 30 aldermen have gone to jail on corruption charges since 1970—give his office a call at 866-448-4754, email him at [email protected] or mail him at 740 N. Sedgwick St., 60654.